An activist filed the complaint with the attorney general's office after hearing of Bailey's plans to use the emails he obtained while a member of Palin's gubernatorial staff. He wrote "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin," which came out last spring.

The fines include penalties for disclosing confidential information to Bailey's two co-authors in drafting the book and also for publishing some information after being told it was not to be released.

In an email Tuesday, Bailey says he agreed to pay the fine because despite his best efforts, two items were left in the book that the state did not want published. He also says the state deemed it against ethics rules to share his own personal emails with his co-authors.